Riley Gaines said a Target Center staffer tried to force her to put down a small sign supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx, adding another flashpoint to a game already charged by the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Gaines, a former college swimmer and advocate for women’s sports, attended the matchup in Minneapolis to support Cunningham, who has faced intense criticism after saying women’s sports should be reserved for women. Gaines told reporters she made sure her sign, which read «Sophie, thank you, a girl mom», complied with the arena’s published size rule before she entered the building. She said she measured it after checking the policy, which allows handheld signs up to 11 by 17 inches.
At some point during the game, a staffer in all-black official clothing pointed at her from across the arena and appeared to mouth «Put your sign down». Gaines said she initially assumed he was not addressing her because dozens of spectators were holding signs, including signs with player names on them. The staffer then approached her and repeated the instruction. When she asked why, Gaines said, he replied that the sign could not be displayed because it contained Sophie’s name.
The explanation did not sit well with people seated around her. Gaines said other fans in her section were outraged and pointed out that many signs in the building featured players’ names. She refused to lower the sign, recalling: «What are you going to do, kick me out? Go for it.» A staffer later returned and apologized, she said, which she interpreted as a possible sign that he had been told by someone else to confront her.
Target Center’s published poster and signage policy does not ban signs simply for naming a player. The policy says signs under 11 by 17 inches are generally allowed, must be handheld, cannot be mounted on sticks or poles, cannot use lighting elements, cannot contain offensive language or graphics, and cannot block other guests’ views. The venue reserves the right to confiscate signs it deems inappropriate and says rules may change for specific events. Gaines said her sign met all the published requirements.
The confrontation came against a backdrop of strong emotions inside and outside the arena. Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx coach, wore a shirt reading «Trans kids belong» on the sideline, and ESPN’s broadcast highlighted the shirt while encouraging viewers to listen to Reeve’s previous comments on transgender athletes. The Fever lost 108-100, and Cunningham was loudly booed throughout the game.
Gaines said she arrived at Target Center about 20 minutes before tipoff. She had initially planned to attend a rally outside the arena but stayed at her hotel after her personal security team warned that the situation had become too hostile. She said a protester near the entrance put a bullhorn close to her face, sounded it and shouted at her. Video from the scene showed a separate confrontation in which one person ripped a T-shirt from another person’s hands, though it did not appear to show anyone being struck or injured.
The response inside was mixed. Some people directed insults and hostile looks at Gaines, she said, but many others asked for photographs, offered fist bumps, thanked her, bought her drinks and quietly expressed support. She said families and young girls formed something like a photo line near her seat around halftime, and some fans brought copies of her book into the arena for her to sign.
Gaines said she hoped the episode would draw attention to how supporters of women’s sports are treated at games, and she noted that the staffer did not tell her the sign was oversized, offensive, obstructing a view or prohibited by an event-specific rule. Instead, she said, the stated reason was Cunningham’s name.
